1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing material from a container, and in particular to an apparatus for dispensing a measured amount of material from the container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several prior art devices are currently available for dispensingmaterial from a container. Among these are devices including a receptacle for receiving and measuring material from the container, which receptacle is sealingly mounted over the mouth of the receptacle. The receptacles have measurement indicia provided thereon for measuring an amount of material to be dispensed. Such prior art devices are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,800,257 (Nixon) and 3,512,681 (Frankel). These devices generally have several disadvantages which can include, for example, a complex structure including protruding parts that can be easily broken,or removable parts that can be inadvertently thrown away, a multi-step operating procedure, and the possibility of malfunction. Expanding on the former disadvantage, the Nixon patent discloses an intricately designed dispensing device that includes an elongate handle secured to a sealing disc, which handle withdraws the disc from a measuring receptacle to facilitate the preselection of an amount of material to be dispensed. Not only would the elongate handle, as it is unprotected, be susceptable to breakage, but additionally, as the preselection is effected by moving a disc relative to the receptable, malfunctions are inherent. The Frankel patent discloses a measuring receptacle mounted to a container, the receptacle including a remountable cap which must be positioned to effect measurement of the material to be dispensed and must be then completely removed to effect dispensing. Thus the possibility that the cap can be displaced is ever present. Further, moveable parts are required to seal a discharge port that provides communication between the container and the measuring receptacle, when dispensing from the measuring receptacle is effected. Again the possibility of malfunction exists. A further disadvantage is that some of these devices are not designed to allow the containers with the devices secured thereto to be stacked for easy storage or transportation.
Other prior art dispensing devices are adapted to dispense only one preselected amount of material. As is inherently obvious, a plurality of devices would be needed to provide a range of preselected amounts for dispensing, such a range would certainly be helpful in many dispensing applications. Such prior art devices are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,190,092 (Bailey), 2,538,336 (Smith), and 3,680,744 (Daniels).